Skies of Vesperia Legends
by Ordo Warrior
Summary: Across the world of Arcadia, an unexpected adventure, sparked by a chanced encounter, will bring together an unlikely crew as they do the impossible and fight against insurmountable odds.
1. The raid that started it all

**A/N:** I wanted to get this story out there since I've already got the ball rolling and I don't see anyone else trying this, though updates will vary depending on circumstances that life throws at me(won't be as constant as my Pokémon story, but I'll try to have something of a regular schedule, maybe every other week) This is a retelling of the Arcadia story with several Tales of Vesperia characters(and some lore) integrated into it. For those familiar with Vesperia, then I will say now that I plan to have everyone from the party joining(excluding Patty cause she's a PS3 Japanese exclusive and I only have the 360 version, plus the story doesn't really need to deal with her ghosts) as well as a few prominent support characters throughout the Vesperia story, (Flame shield activated: 200% power) including Sodia…with half of her bitchiness…

* * *

Yet another day in the dingy, disease riddled Lower City of Valua as the ever imposing storm of Valua constantly rages above the entire continent under their Yellow Moon. Orphan Yuri Lowell, and his loyal companion Repede, have done their best to keep in good spirits and help the people around them, though there's only so much a 21-year-old swordsman and a dog could do. The very fact that one of the few means of amusement around the Lower City of Valua was to watch executions and fights to the death in the Coliseum as reminders that there are people out there far worse off than them was hard enough, and the taxes seemed to only make matters worse. Yuri was sitting in his room's windowsill, looking to the Imperial Palace and shining Upper City, "Someday, Repede, we'll get out of this hell hole."

* * *

In a daring night rendezvous, a mysterious girl in white flying a sliver open cockpit machine, that did not use any know form of propulsion, was endeavoring to meet with a strange silver armored lancer riding a blue dragon. The meeting was cut short as a Valuan warship gave pursuit, dogging the two of them.

Inside the bridge of the warship, the commanding officer, a blond hair man in an elaborately designed uniform to display his rank and high standings in society, Second Admiral in the Valuan Armada, Alfonso, snickered, "We've finally found her…"

"Admiral Alfonso, her ship and the monster are in range of our cannons," the Vice Captain reported.

"Excellent. Prepare to fire concussion shells on my command but avoid hitting her ship directly. We need her alive so we can 'question' her. As for the Dragon Rider, it matters not. They've been a nescience to the Valuan Empire long enough. Fire!"

The shells exploded around the two of them, and though they weren't able to kill the dragon, the rider was thrown into the ship with the girl as the ship itself was damaged by the barrage. The dragon was about to try and save the two of them, but the Valuan ship was already on top of them and he only managed to grab his rider's spear. The dragon quickly retreated into the cloud cover, staying out of range of their cannons.

"Your Excellency, the girl has been knocked unconscious, but she's unharmed. The Dragon Rider has also been rendered unconscious. Both have been taken aboard our ship," leaving the silver vessel to continue its descent into the deep sky below.

Alfonso laughed, "The Empress will be very pleased with me. I'm sure to be rewarded…rather handsomely, I might add." Suddenly an explosion happened, rocking the ship, "What? Where did that come from? It sounded like an explosion. Status report, now!"

One of the deck officers quickly responded, "Th…the lower hull has been hit! Someone is attacking us!"

"Attacking us?! Who would dare attack a vessel of the Imperial Armada?"

The two officers found them, "There's a small ship hiding in the clouds off port side."

"Th…that flag…Air Pirates!"

* * *

What luck, a lone Valuan warship in the middle of the night and they weren't on high alert. Someone in there must be slacking big time to allow these rogues to get in this close and attack. The pirate ship quickly got in close as crewmembers threw grappling hooks to bind the two vessels together. From the crow's nest a daring young man jumped, using the hock at the pommel end of one of his swords to glide across the rope and board the Valuan ship first.

A squad of soldiers were already on deck when the lone pirate arrived, mocking him, "Air Pirate scum! Don't you know that we're Valuan Imperial Soldiers?"

"Of course I know. That's why we attacked your ship. You guys have the best stuff." The flood lights were lite, showing a brown hair young man with a crescent-shaped scar on his left check wearing a blue jacket with a red scarf and black sleeveless t-shirt underneath, black leggings, brown knee-length leather boots and a sky blue "eye patch"-shaped lens over his right eye drawing a pair of cutlasses, one of which he held by the specially designed, elongated crossguard as he held the other in a reverse grip as the Blue Moon Stones in the blades gave the edges their unique shimmer, "I'm Vyse of the Blue Rogues. And in a few minutes, I'll be relieving you of all your valuables!"

The soldiers were snickering now, "Attacking us all by yourself? You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. We'll be tossing you overboard."

"Wait for me!" a girl's voice cried out from the pirate ship. "Vyse, you left without me! I'm not going to let you have all the fun." The redhead girl had her hair in two long, stiff braids that stood out to the sides as she wore a yellow dress with dark shorts and a blue belt, with yellow leather boots and a large yellow leather glove covering her left hand bearing a boomerang nearly as tall as her. Though only half of a wing was wood and had a handle carved out for her hand, the rest had the distinct green glow of being powered by a Green Moon Stone. She had a pair of goggles on her head, a pair of blue pendant earrings and a pendant around her neck, "Oh, hi, I'm Aika. I'm a Blue Rogue like Vyse…and we're robbing you."

"You dare mock the Valuan Empire with your insolence? Kill them! And toss their corpses over the side!"

Two of the soldiers surrounding them rushed in to attack, but the coordination between the two pirates easily allowed them to avoid the attacks and get in their own to knock the soldiers out. Back to back, Vyse and Aika continued to smile at the others, "There's no point in resisting. Throw down your weapons and hand over your ship."

"Imbeciles! What do the two of you think you can do against the five of us? Take 'em out."

As the soldier raised his blade to strike, a shot hit his helmet, toppling the heavily armored man without killing him. "I think you miscounted. I only see four of you." More Air Pirates have boarded the ship, flanking Aika and Vyse.

"Dad!"

"We'll take care of these guys. Make your way to the bridge and shut down the engines." Vyse's father kept the pistol aimed at one of the soldiers' head, "And, when we're out here, remember, it's 'Captain' …not 'Dad.' Got it?"

Vyse was a carefree as ever, "Yeah, yeah… Aye aye, 'Captain.' Heh…Aika, shall we go introduce ourselves to the captain of this ship?"

"I'm ready when you are!"

"Alright! Let's go find the bridge!"

As the duo left, the Captain turned to one of his smaller crew members, "Karol," the spiked brown hair boy was wearing a green and white shirt with brown pants and white gloves as he looked up to the Captain, "Go catch up with Vyse. He might need the extra hands."

Twelve-year-old Karol Capel was younger than Vyse by five years but he has always aspired to be like Vyse, looking up to him like a big brother. "Y-yes, Captain!" Karol always carried around his trusted bag that managed to hold more things than expected as his weapon of choice was a large hammer as wide as he was with faces that were imbued with a Green Moon Stone with a few spare weapons stashed away inside his large red messenger bag, though the handles occasionally stuck out one end. The Captain and the others held off the Valuan soldiers long enough for Karol to reach the hatch Vyse and Aika jumped down.

Inside the ship, Vyse and Aika were waiting as Karol landed on his rear. "Nice of you to join us."

Karol laughed, pretending that it didn't hurt, "Well of course, you might have to fight the ship's captain if your ace wasn't around."

Aika started rubbing her hand through Karol's hair, "How could we forget our secret weapon? Now let's hurry so we can start gathering the treasures."

As the trio rushed through the ship, someone eventually called out to them. "Well…well…" this surprise had Karol hide behind Aika, though this time he managed to hold in his scream, "Air Pirates have decided to…infest my ship." Looking up they found who was call them out, "I am Alfonso, cherished son of Valua's most distinguished family, and an Admiral of the Imperial Armada." Vyse though noticed the girl being carried by the soldier and the armor of the Dragon Rider being carried by another. "Normally, lowlifes such as yourselves would never have the opportunity to bask in such greatness. Consider yourselves fortunate."

"Yeah…right… Who's the girl?" Vyse demanded. "I never thought someone of your…stature would stoop to kidnapping."

"Hah! You're very observant for a Rogue."

Karol whispered to Aika, "Is this guy for real?"

Alfonso continued, not even hearing a word from Karol, "However, I cannot waste my time dealing with you. I simply must get going. I think I shall have you exterminated like the pests you are… Dispose of them!" The alarm sounded as five soldiers armed with stun batons jumped down to stop them.

* * *

From a distance, a man with long silver white hair was riding on a six-winged gryphonic creature as they watched everything transpire with the Valuan warship. "Shouldn't we do something?"

"No," the man looked away, "They are in safe hands, for now. We still need to know what happened to him, and prevent the Valuans and Silvites from attaining the Moon Crystals." With his finally say on things, the two of them flew off to attend to other matters.

* * *

Vyse used Karol's hammer to propel himself at one of the soldier's, knocking him out with a quick slash from his blade. Aika had already tossed her boomerang, though the initial throw missed, she was waiting for its return trip to hit the solder's head hard. Karol was rather defensive, keeping a soldier back by using his hammer to block the hits. With him distracted Aika wacked him in the back of the head with her boomerang. "Nice work, Karol. As effective as always."

He chuckled halfheartedly, "Yeah, like always, I save the last strike for myself."

Aika moved aside, singlehandedly blocking the baton with her boomerang, "He's all yours."

Karol swung his hammer around, losing control for a moment before he got a hit on the soldier, sending him across the room. "Y—you see that! I got him!"

"Let's not celebrate just yet," Vyse pointed a blade toward Alfonso, "We still have that girl and the Dragon Rider to rescue."

Alfonso wasn't exactly pleased by their display. "What?! How did you defeat my soldiers?" His shock quickly turned into a sneer, "Heh…If you want my ship that badly, you can have it. I'll get another. I am very busy. I do not have time to deal with you personally. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Alfonso and his two soldiers left with their unconscious captives in tow.

* * *

Alfonso's Vice Captain lowered the hatch for the escape vessel, "Your Excellency, the sun is up and visibility is good. The preparations for your escape have been completed."

"Good work. I have finished my preparations as well…" Alfonso moved behind the Vice Captain and his other subordinate, "…preparations to dispose of traitors."

"W…what?"

As the two soldiers turned to Alfonso, he had his rapier pointed to them both. "P…please wait!"

"Your Excellency! What are you doing?"

Alfonso forced them toward the edge of the lowered ramp, "I cannot tell the Empress that I lost my ship to the Air Pirates in a fair fight. I am going to need a scapegoat and the two of you'll do quite nicely. To keep my glorious reputation from being tarnished, you must be sacrificed…"

"N…no! You can't do this!"

Alfonso then tossed the two of them to the abyss below without a moment's hesitation, not even having the decency of killing them beforehand. Sheathing the rapier, he smiled, "Even in death, they'll serve me well. I can't wait to tell the Empress… 'But Empress, my own Vice Captain and his most trusted lackey betrayed us and allowed the Air Pirates on board… I could do naught but dispose of the traitors myself'."

"So, this is how Valua treats its people…"

"What?!" Alfonso quickly turned to where the voice came from.

It was Vyse and his two companions. They had the Dragon Rider and the girl with them now as Vyse held his blades out. "Now that we've taken control of your ship, we'll be taking the girl and Dragon Rider as well. There's just one more thing I need to do." Vyse took up his combat stance now, "After seeing you kill unarmed men in cold blood, I can't allow you to walk away from this. Draw your blade, Alfonso!"

"Hah…An uncivilized Rogue such as yourself wants to challenge me?" Alfonso then had that smug snicker again as he brushed his hair to the side, "You aren't worth my effort, but perhaps you'd like to meet one of my pets. Come, Antonio!"

The door at Vyse's end started to bulge as something tried to force its way through. Finally the door gave way to a massive muscular quadruped brute with two horns protruding from its shoulders. "What? What is that thing?" the creature had armor covering most of its body, a pair of blades attached to the front hooves and a helmet piece that gave it a third horn to skewer its opponents.

Karol freaked at the sight of the creature, "A Kantor war bull!"

Alfonso corrected Karol, "He's my personal war beast. I was going to leave him here, but it seems I've found a use for him after all. Antonio! Trample the pests…and make their deaths as painful as possible."

Aika was at the girl's side, though she was getting her boomerang ready, "Karol, watch over those two while Vyse and I deal with Antonio."

"Uh…s—sure…n-no problem…" though Karol was easily frightened he was more so for what he knew, "Aika! Nan told me to watch out for a Kantor's horns. Not only can they pierce steel, but somehow they fire lightning bolts from 'em too."

Vyse was ready, "Thanks for the heads up, Karol. Now keep them safe!"

Vyse and Aika rushed to Antonio, drawing his attention away from Karol and the unconscious pair. Just as Karol had warned, Antonio was able to fire off bolts of lightning but Vyse's blades blocked the bolts as Aika threw her boomerang to draw Antonio to expose his unprotected underbelly.

As Antonio reared up in anger, Vyse slashed across his belly with a few strikes, but Antonio's thick hid prevented such an occurrence. Antonio charged at Vyse now, smashing into the wall and getting his horns stuck. Vyse and Aika quickly used this opportunity to try and finish the war beast once and for all. And in perfect harmony, the two of them slew Antonio before he could free himself.

Alfonso had used Antonio's fight to get himself onto his personal escape boat, "Bah! Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye. Well, Vyse of the Blue Rogues… You will rue this day…the day you stood against the Valuan Empire. We shall meet again."

Vyse and Aika rushed after the boat but he was already long gone. "You coward!" Aika screamed, "What kind of commander sacrifices his own men and his ship to run from a fight?" She started to smile though as she turned back to Vyse, "Well, even though he was a coward, he was a coward with gold…"

Vyse had a smile now too, turning back to her, "True…I suppose that the ship and everything on it officially belong to us now."

"We haven't had a catch this big for quite some time! The people back home are going to be impressed."

Karol rushed over to the two, "Hey you guys, what are we going to do about them?"

Aika and Vyse turned to the unconscious Dragon Rider and girl. "Your right, Karol," and without having to deal with chasing Alfonso or fighting, Aika took a moment to really look the girl over, "I've never seen anyone dressed like that girl before." The girl's skin was rather pale with blue pendant earrings similar in shape to the ones Aika has. Around her wrists, neck and ankles she had strange golden cuffs that had strange markings similar to the gold patterns on her dress, veil and gold headband. Of her dress, she had a triangular cutout above her breasts, though the opening revealing nothing too explicit. The most curious thing about her were the sleeves on her arms that weren't attached to the dress by any visible means, and the odd arcane markings on her forehead and shoulders.

Vyse looked her over, "You're right. She sure doesn't look like she's from around here. I wonder why Valua was trying to kidnap this girl in the first place."

"Hmm…I wonder where she's from…" Karol pondered.

The Dragon Rider's armor was rather unique as well, the helm was pointed like a spear tip yet the shoulder guards that could easily cover his entire arms looked pliable. The helmet also had a diamond pattern that resembled the Rider's infamous red and black spear, with two purple gems between the eye holes and forehead. The chest down had red, purple and gold strips that looked oddly familiar. Aika smiled, "Well I think we can guess why he was captured, rescuing the damsel in distress all by his lonesome."

Vyse laughed, "Well, let get the silver knight and the princess back to the _Albatross_."

* * *

**A/N:** Still working on how to play out the ship-to-ship fights(especially against the Gigas). On a side note I plan to reintroduce a few pieces of 'mature' content that were cut out of the English versions, mostly just the cut drunkers in Esparanza and Lower City, Ramirez's bleeding hand and Bellena's outfit…


	2. Welcome to Pirate Isle!

Once back on the _Albatross_, Vyse, Aika and Karol had the mysterious girl and the Dragon Rider placed in beds as the Dragon Rider's dragon flew beside them.

"How is she, Vyse?"

"Hmm…her breathing's more regular now. I think she'll be alright."

Karol looked to the Dragon Rider. "What about him? Should we remove the helmet?"

Vyse thought about that too, curious as he might be however, "No, it'd be a disrespect to remove his armor while he's out. Especially after all of the good he's done in these skies."

Turning their attention back to the girl, Aika noticed her eyes flinching before they finally opened. "Hey! Look! She's coming to…"

The girl looked lost, obviously shock from recovering from the Valuan attack. "Wh…where am I?"

"You're aboard our ship, the _Albatross_. I'm Vyse. Don't worry, there aren't any Valuan troops around, so you'll be safe here."

She nervously turned to Vyse, "Y…yes. Um…thank you very much."

Karol was scratching his nose, "Ah…it was nothing for the likes of us. I'm Karol, the ace of the Blue Rogues!"

Aika slapped Karol's back, "He sure is! But you don't need to thank us! The Blue Rogues are always there to help people! My name is Aika. It's nice to meet you. Hey, could you tell us your name?" The mysterious girl looked hesitant to say, though suddenly in the other bed the Dragon Rider picked himself up. Aika looked to him, "Well the knight in shining armor is up and about too. Nice to finally meet you face to mask."

The Dragon Rider then did the unexpected, removing his helmet. And what was beneath was even more surprising, the Dragon Rider was a woman, and what's more she was a Krityan, the ancient people who were believed to have helped develop the means of using the Moon Stones as sources of power and energy. The Krityans themselves were rather reclusive but some could still be found anywhere a civilization exists, though most just lived regular lives not worrying about the current social strives. Her purple hair was rolled into a bun on the back though the rest loosely swayed in the air as the strand of silver hair was visible on one of the bangs in front of her face as the distinct elongated pointy ears that pointed away from her and the furry, near-body length, light blue antennae that come from the back of her head were in full display. She smiled to the girl still in bed, "Don't worry. You can trust these Air Pirates. My name is Judith by the way."

This encouragement seemed to be what she needed as she looked to the others in the room, "My name…my name is Fina."

"Fina, huh? It's a great name…it's so…so feminine."

"R…really? You think so?"

Vyse rubbed the back of his head, "Geez, you try and compliment someone…And nothing…No reaction whatsoever."

Aika laughed, "Vyse, that wasn't much of a compliment. Looks like you have a lot to learn about women."

Fina smiled, seeing how friendly they were, though she quickly grabbed their attention once more, "Umm…excuse me, but I have a question. What exactly is an Air…Air Pirate?"

Karol, Vyse and Aika looked to one another, slightly at a loss for words. Karol finally said what was on their minds, "What? You were out sailing all by yourself and you don't even know what Air Pirates are?"

Fina quickly coward, "Oh…I…I'm sorry…it's my first time traveling."

Judith walked over, "That's why she and I were meeting up. Unfortunately we got a few Valuan eyes on us before I could get everything ready."

Karol turned to her, "I've heard stories about you taking on way bigger Valuan ships. Why couldn't you handle them?"

Judith smiled, "Normally we had the jump on them, we were alone, had cloud cover, and Ba'ul wasn't in their line of fire. That and I couldn't just leave her alone while I try to strike out against them."

"Ba'ul?"

Judith turned to the viewport, "Yes. He's my friend." Outside the viewport was the dragon, still carrying her spear in his mouth. Judith turned back to Fina, "An Air Pirate is a sailor who attacks other ships and steal their cargo."

Fina gasped, looking to the other three, "Attack?!"

Karol frantically waved his hands, grabbing Fina's attention to explain, "Bu-but you don't have to worry about us! We're not the bad guys!"

Aika winked to Fina, "Yeah. We're Blue Rogues. See, Air Pirates are divided into two factions: the Blue Rogues and the Black Pirates. The Black Pirates will attack anything in the sky…especially merchant vessels and unarmed ships. However, we Blue Rogues only take cargo from armed ships, especially the Imperial Armada."

Vyse proudly pounded a fist to his chest, "We rob from the rich and keep the gold. But, we use the gold to save people that need our help. That's why we helped you. Don't worry, we aren't trying to kidnap you or anything. Just relax and enjoy the ride."

"Umm…sure," that and Judith's smile seemed to have put Fina a bit more at ease now.

"_Vyse, Aika, Karol…_" the Captain's voice rang from the voicepipe in the room, "_How long are you going to sit there chitchatting? Come to the bridge now._"

Aika and Karol were in a panic, more so than Vyse, "Oh no! I completely lost track of time!"

"The Captain is going to yell at us again!"

Vyse smiled to Fina and Judith, "Oh well…I guess that means we have to go. Alright Fina, Judith, we'll see you later! Try and get some rest." With that the three of them ran out the door, rushing to the bridge.

Judith smiled to Fina who was breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you like I promised. But we're in good hands." Fina was still uneasy. "I trust them with many things."

* * *

The _Albatross_ continued her course, as Judith and Fina found their way to the deck of the ship. Judith was wearing her helmet again as Fina gazed upon the sky with wonder. "Hey Fina." From behind them Vyse walked over, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you for your concern."

Vyse smiled, "No problem. I'm just happy to see that you're well. Looks like we'll be reaching the island soon."

"…Island?"

Vyse pointed ahead to show her, "You can see it right over there. That's our base…Pirate Isle."

"Pirate Isle…"

Fina was amazed to see such a lively little community at play below, happily waving their return. The _Albatross_ continued around as the rocky lower portion of the island opened up to reveal a hidden dock large enough for the _Albatross_. As the _Albatross_ flew into the opening Ba'ul followed them inside before the hatch closed up, returning the island to its more placid demeanor.

* * *

Once inside the hold, the crew started to pile their latest treasures from the Valuan vessel, "Weapons, armor, gold… Now THIS is a great catch! One of our best yet!"

One of the women crewmembers tossed a bottle to a fellow crewmen, "Tonight, we should celebrate!"

Everyone cheered with glee, "Yeah!"

Fina was still with Aika, Karol and Vyse as Judith returned to being the stoic and anonymous Dragon Rider as she tended to Ba'ul. Aika turned to their guest, "Well Fina, this is what we do! What do you think?"

Fina looked around to all of the equipment and things they have established, "Well…It certainly looks challenging."

Aika laughed, "Challenging, huh… Well, now that you mention it, it isn't easy. But it is fun!"

Karol proudly pointed out, "This is the underground port inside of Pirate Isle. From the outside, this island looks like a quiet, peaceful village. But the inside of the island is where our headquarters is located."

Vyse turned to some of the doors on the walls, "Yeah, there are armories, shops, and even a tavern inside here. Come on, we'll give you a tour."

"Vyse!" Everyone looked up to find the Captain looking down on them from the highest ridgeline, "Come to my office immediately…and bring our two guests with you."

Aika turned to him, "Vyse…I wonder what that was all about."

"…I'm not sure, but we'd better hurry. You know how my dad gets when we're late."

Karol though was shaking a bit, "Your dad always scares me when he's mad." Judith, continuing to play up the silent Dragon Rider, joined them, gently holding Karol's shoulder until he stopped shaking.

* * *

The man, who was watching the Dragon Rider and the Blue Rogues, was now attacking another Valuan battleship as he and the gryphon-like creature easily decimated the Valuans, though he needed at least one of them alive for questioning. The man ran his sword through an officer's shoulder, pinning him to the wall while his partner wiped out the remaining Valuans. The man's silver white hair covered all of his back, though even in the heat of this battle his face remained as calm as ever, as though the soldiers were facing against death itself. His black and red outfit was imposing without his unusually calm demeanor, though the gold adornment on his shoulder, hands and the matching rings on his arms made it seem like he was royalty, or at least nobility.

As the officer continued to struggle to pry the sword out, the man gripped the handle of his blade, holding it in place, "You will answer my questions, and I promise a painless death." Even his very speech was eerily calm, as though it too could pierce his heart, through his armor. He pulled a photo from the inside of his coat, "Do you recognize this boy?" the photo in question was of a young, happy boy with a younger girl as he was hugging her and a strange silver blob of a creature that had a face was sitting in both of their laps.

The officer faced death just the same, but he tried his hardest to remember. "I…I don't know…I don't think I have…"

"What does Valua know about Soltis or Zelos?"

"What are…?"

The man slashed his blade before he could finish, keeping his promise to kill him painlessly. He quickly put the picture away before blood ran across the floor and his partner returned to him. "And still nowhere closer to finding him. You do realize the possibility that he may…" The man walking into the ship, intent on sinking it, "Duke!" his partner slammed her talons into the deck, "It has been seven years now! I doubt the Valuans would keep him alive this long if they had him. We also have to accept the possibility that…"

"It is one thing that they chose to send my son out on his own for their daunting mission, but now they have sent my daughter to fulfill the same task. Her innocence I will not see tarnished by their shortsighted hands. I will not allow those who do nothing but observe, decide anything, ever again. Our people made a mistake long ago, one that nearly destroyed our world, our Arcadia. Now is the time that we finally correct that mistake properly. And with the power of Dein Nomos, Zelos will never rise from its slumber."

She silently watched Duke continue down the corridor. "And is the path, we now walk, one that we should follow?"

* * *

After a small stop at the tavern, Vyse, Aika and Karol quickly got to the Captain's office. "Vyse, Aika and Karol reporting for duty. And we've brought Fina and the Dragon Rider like you requested."

The Captain was sitting at the large table with two of his trusted crewmembers standing behind him. "Hmph…you're a little late. I'll let it slide this time…Come on over." Karol, Aika and Vyse escort the two closer to him, "Young lady, I am Dyne, the Captain of the Blue Rogues. There are a few questions that I want to ask you. will you answer them for me?"

Fina was hesitant, though looking to Judith she found her resolve. "Of…of course."

"I've been sailing for a long time, but I've never come across anyone wearing clothes like yours. What country are you from and why were you traveling alone out there?"

As much as Vyse wanted to defend her, he knew his place in the pecking order, however Aika was quick to Fina's defense. "Cap'n Dyne, you worry too much. Fina is just a normal girl."

"Silence, Aika." Though it wasn't directed to him, Karol still cowered behind Vyse, "I am the captain here. It is my duty to protect the safety of my family and my crew. If this girl is a danger of any sort to you or any of my men, I cannot let her live."

Karol slowly peered out, "Bu-but…but…"

Dyne ignored Karol, "Fina…It is your turn to speak."

Fina fell silent, torn about the hospitality that Karol, Vyse and Aika have shown her. "Fina…"

As Aika was about to reach out to her, Fina finally spoke, "…I…I cannot say."

"Why is that? Is it because we are Air Pirates? Don't you trust us?" Dyne egging her on for an answer.

"No, that has nothing to do with it," Fina now standing upright as she looked Dyne in the eyes, "I thank you with all my heart for saving my life. But I cannot tell any living soul about the purpose of my quest. Even if it means sacrificing my own life. I have no intention of endangering any of your lives. If you believe anything that I say, please believe this." Judith walked up to Fina, standing next to her and staring down Dyne as well.

Dyne was quiet for some time, "…Alright then," though he eventually broke out a smile as the others also lightened up, "Heh…looks like I lost this one. I understand your dilemma. And I can see in your eyes that you are true to your word. Although we're Air Pirates, we also have a strong sense of honor. You do not need to divulge the details of your quest. Understand that you now have my trust…Be careful that you do not lose it."

"Captain Dyne…" Fina gracefully bowed, "Thank you kindly. I will not disappoint you."

He eased a little in his chair, "And I expect an explanation from you before you leave us, Judith."

"Dad? You knew her identity?"

Dyne nodded, "That story is for another day. And it's not 'Dad'. It's Captain! I swear…" rubbing his eyebrows, "how many times do I have to remind you?"

Judith turned to Vyse, "Currently, everyone who knows the identity of the Dragon Rider is in this room," Judith then turned back to Dyne, "And I promise to provide everything that is needed to know before leaving with Ba'ul."

Dyne accepted that, knowing Judith's odd quirks. "In the meantime, you three take Fina topside and give her a tour of the village."

* * *

While Judith was speaking with Dyne, Karol and Vyse have been busy introducing Fina to everyone on the island, playing hide and seek with the younger kids and now they were reunited with Aika as they were watching the sunset on Lookout Island, just above Pirate Isle.

The scene was gorgeous, the many hues of colors as the clouds traveling in front of the sun had lessened it intensity. "It's so beautiful…"

Vyse and Aika were sitting on the bench, just watching. "I love it up here, it's so peaceful. I come up here to relax and watch the sunsets." Vyse continued to look out to the sun, "When I'm up here, I often wonder what lies beyond the sky…Beyond the sunset…"

"Beyond…the sky…?" Fina whispered as she gazed back out.

"Some say there're monsters. Other say there's a maelstrom that either blows ships away, or pulls them in…and they're never seen again. And there are others that just say it's…impossible…"

Karol tried to keep from shaking, but with all of the rumors Vyse was putting out there, he couldn't help it. "Maybe we should heed the warnings for once, Vyse."

Vyse laughed, "I want to know what's out there… Besides, I don't like giving up on anything without giving it my best shot. Someday, I will be the captain of my own ship. I'll go beyond that sunset, and I'll see what's out there."

Aika was thrilled after hearing Vyse's dream. "Wow…I bet if you could go beyond the sunset, the sky would look even more beautiful."

A strong breeze suddenly hit them, and soon two meteorites flew across the sky, causing Vyse, Aika and Karol to shot up, "…That was…"

"…A Moon Stone!"

Fina looked out to the sky, "…a Moon Stone?"

A third one came careening through the air as Vyse tracked this one with his lens, "…It landed on that island over there. I think that's Shrine Island."

Aika had that cat-like grin once again, "It's been a long time since we've seen a Moon Stone fall!"

Fina though was uncertain, "I don't understand. That was a Moon Stone?"

"That's right, Fina, you've heard of Moon Stones before, right? They're pieces of rock that fall from the Moons. They usually crash land on the islands. They're a really powerful source of energy, too. We use them for all sorts of things. They power our air ships, and we can also forge weapons out of them."

"Oh, yes. I know of Moon Stones," she turned back to the skies, "But it's my first time seeing a Moon Stone actually fall from the sky."

Aika turned to her friends, "Vyse, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah, we should try to recover the Moon Stone. Let's go first thing tomorrow."

Before Karol could try and protest, a voice called out to them, "Vyse! Aika! Karol! Fina!" it was Vyse's mother, "Dinner is ready! Come on down!"

Vyse looked to Aika, "Let's go, Fina. You're going to eat with us, right?"

"We're so lucky! I love your mom's cooking… Fina let's go eat while it's still hot!"

The thought of her food got Karol's mouth watering, "Yeah, her cooking is the best."

"Yes, thank you for your gracious offer." As Fina was about to climb down the ladder, she paused to look back up to the Silver Moon high above.

* * *

**A/N:** Well I updated sooner then I expected. Figured out the ship battles, now just write out the others.


	3. Fortune's Favor

Judith had already made her preparations and left the night before, continuing whatever it was she did as the Dragon Rider. The next day, after convincing Karol at dinner, the trio set off for Shrine Island, with a few provisions provided by Vyse's parents. Once on the island, they found a massive opening gapping into the shrine in the middle of the lake, "Look at the size of that hole!"

"The Moon Stone must have caused that. It must be huge…"

Karol had other concerned. "But with the hole the Shrine will be flooded."

"In the Old World, this island was a sacred place. These ruins used to be some sort of temple. Nobody's been here for generations."

Karol started shaking now, as Aika slapped Vyse's back, "Yeah, I've heard the stories about this place, too. I've heard that there are monsters crawling around inside."

Karol was at his limit, "Well, we can't just barge in there with all of those monsters hanging around…"

Aika grabbed the back of his shirt, stopping Karol from going back onto the boat, "But Moon Stones that big are rare! We've got to go in and get it! You know how I can't pass up a treasure hunt. Besides, how bad can it possibly be?"

Vyse agreed, "You're right. We're going treasure hunting!"

Karol was unfortunately dragged along as they entered the temple. As expected, the entire area was flooded, but as they looked around the water lodged Vyse was the first to spot something, "…Guys! Look! The Moon Stone is at the bottom!"

"Wow! It's so bright! That Moon Stone must be huge!" Aika turned to their fearless leader, "So, Vyse…How do you plan on getting it out of there? The water is getting pretty deep…"

"Let's try and drain the water from this place. That way we can just carry the Moon Stone out of here."

Aika shrugged, "Well, considering that I can't swim, I like that plan better…"

Karol looked around, "But there's still one problem…how are we supposed to drain all of this water, anyway?"

Aika then noticed something else in the water, "Hey, guys. Look over there!" she pointed it out for everyone to see. "There's a door over there. Maybe if we can find a way to open it, we can drain the water out of this place!"

"Hmm… You might be right. We'll use the doors as drains."

"Alright! Let's go!"

* * *

Though relations between the Valuan Empire and Nasr Kingdom aren't exactly stable, merchants and researchers from both sides seemed to avoid the subjects entirely. One of these researchers was a rather gifted child from Valua named Rita Mordio. Rita has spent much of her life researching the Moon Stones, their properties, how the ancients first found ways of using them as sources of power, and currently her goal was uncovering means of fully tapping into the hidden potential that every Moon Stone contained. With current technology they burn through Moon Stones regularly and the only means of replenishing their supplies were by digging or waiting for the occasional meteorite that fell from one of the six Moons; Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Purple and Silver.

Rita had been experimenting with what little of the Old World technology that had been recovered and she had hypothesized that they could potentially tap into the full potential of the Moon Stones just as the Old World. This hypothesis had gotten her noticed by Lord Admiral Galcian and Empress Teodora, who have funded an expedition for her to travel to Nasr and learn what she could from the known ancient ruins from the regions. The only problem so far has been Rita's hate for the unbearable heat of the desert, spending much of her time sleeping or trying to stay cool at the local inn. This time wasn't entirely wasted either though, as she continued her own research with the Moon Stones on hand. She has been given an aid named Witcher to assist her, though Rita had been exploiting him, sending him out to gather what fragments he could from the waste that was the desert. What little they've managed to translate made references to individuals known simply as the Children of the Full Moon. Now Rita wanted to learn more about these Children of the Full Moon, why they seem to be revered so highly in the Old World, and what their connection there may be to the Moon Stones.

* * *

With the morning sun in the sky, Ben the lookout was on Lookout Island just taking in the start of the day, "Ahh… It looks like it's going to be another nice day today. Not too windy…" He soon heard the Isle's bell ringing out, "Well, there's the bell… Time to get to work… I gotta loosen up a little." But as soon as Ben started his stretches he noticed something off in the distance, though currently they were upside-down for him. "Huh?" Even upside-down Ben quickly recognized the shapes, throwing himself around to confirm his fears, "Oh…oh no! Ships!" he cried to the others below, "Ships approaching! From the North-Northwest…distance: 1.5 leagues! It's the Imperial Armada! They've got a full battle squadron! They're in attack formations!"

Dyne quickly rushed outside to organize everyone as the Valuans started to shell the island. "Everyone get underground! Women and children first! Hurry!" One of the shells landed rather close to him, though Dyne was still fine. "Damn…I never thought they'd find us…" As he looked to the Valuan ships he spotted the lead warship, "That flag… It's Glacian's Flagship!"

* * *

Inside the warship, the _Serpent_, Galcian received the update from his Vice Captain, "Lord Galcian. We've blasted the island with cannon fire and our troops have begun the invasion."

"Good…" Galcian watched as the people scurry about, "They seem very organized for a small village that is under siege. I don't know who their leader is, but he seems very capable. Perhaps Alfonso was in over his head."

"…Perhaps." Galcian's Vice Captain seemed skeptical about that.

"No matter, it appears the battle is over. Retrieve the girl and bring her to me. Capture the Air Pirates. We'll need to interrogate them when we return to Valua. And be sure to destroy their ship as well…"

"And if they resist, Lord Galcian? What does your Excellency wish me to do if the situation arises?"

Galcian watched his troops marching on the island, "I don't think they're foolish enough to resist. However, if something should happen… Burn the village and kill them all. Let the bodies rot in the sun and leave one of our flags to set an example for others who may defy us."

* * *

Slowly but surely, Vyse, Aika and Karol have worked their way down to the bottom with only one last door before they could acquire the Moon Stone, and bring back all of the other smaller treasures they found along the way.

Vyse unlocked the last door, rushing back to Aika and Karol just as the water rushed out of the chamber. With the chamber completely drained of water they traveled inside to inspect their bounty. The thing was massive, bigger than Karol. Aika slapped Karol's back, "See, that wasn't too bad!"

Vyse laughed, "Yeah. But look at the size of that Stone! It'll be an adventure and a half just to get that thing back outside!" As Vyse was about to try and lift the Moon Stone, both Aika and Karol screamed. "Guys!? What's wrong?"

"Vyse…"

Karol was still shaking in his boots, as Aika pointed, "Those rocks…They're…they're moving!"

"G-g-g-ghost!"

The rocks weren't just random pieces of rubble, they were perfectly crafted into something as they started to float and take their positions. What was forming was an ancient sentinel. It had probably deemed them as trespassers and moved to remove them.

The chest of this ancient sentinel had several crystals at the heart of the body and two massive Silver Moon Stones as part of the shoulder joint, easily tower over them all. The body opened as it started scanning the entire area with a red light. "Karol, Aika, split up! This thing can't track us all if we keep moving!"

As they moved around the ancient golem, it followed the slowest of them, Karol, as it prepared the massive cannon that made up its entire left arm. Karol tried to run faster, but he could only go so fast with such a large weapon and all of the things he had in his bag. Vyse saw this, and attacked the sentinel from behind while Aika's boomerang hit the arm completely throwing off its aim as it fired. "Not so tough are you, granite head!"

It turned toward Aika, opening up the chest once more as energy gathered into the crystals in its chest before a red beam fired. Aika's boomerang had yet to return to her and Vyse couldn't reach her in time. Karol though jumped into the air and used his hammer to take the shot. The hammer head managed to survive the blast as Karol and Aika were sent against the wall. "Ar-are you alright, Aika?"

The boomerang slid across the floor near them, "Yeah, thanks to our ace," she rubbed Karol's hair. "This is definitely something you could brag to Nan about. But first," Aika picked up her boomerang, "we have to win this fight."

Vyse was having a bit of trouble now, just barely avoiding a fist sent by the ancient goliath. Aika's boomerang drew the sentinel's attention again as Vyse used his lens to search for some kind of weakness or fault in the design they might be able to exploit. Vyse then spotted something, it wasn't much, but if they could get enough time. "Aika, keep drawing it that way! Karol, get ready to smash its cannon."

"What?!"

"Just trust me and hold it down for as long as you can!" Vyse slashed at the cannon arm now with both blades before jumping back to avoid its fist. Aika managed a hit against the crystal in the left shoulder, staggering it for a moment as Karol slammed his hammer down on the cannon as hard as he could to pin it. "That's it Karol, just like that! Aika!"

Aika tossed her boomerang once more before using the Increm spell to increase Vyse's power. The sentinel finally pushed Karol back as it scanned the area once more. This was what Vyse was waiting for, he charged at the sentinel now, using the large lower half of its body as a perch as he slashed away at the crystals in the chest before preforming an uppercut slash and diving back down with both blades, managing to break a few of the crystals in the process.

That seemed to have done it as the sentinel struggled to remain whole. It tried to charge the cannon one more time, only it barely had enough energy to lift it before falling to pieces. "Whow…" Aika actually built up a sweat in that fight, "Looks like it won't be getting up anymore. What was that thing?"

"Some kind of ancient guardian, I think. Who knows?" Vyse then turned to their reward, "Okay Aika, we need to hurry up and secure the Moon Stone."

"That's my kind of plan!" At the impact sight the fragment was bigger than they thought, "Wow… This Moon Stone is huge!"

"Yeah, it was definitely worth going through all that trouble."

Karol laughed, "We won't have to worry about fuel for a while!"

"It's beautiful…treasure hunting is definitely my favorite part of being an Air Pirate! Wait till everyone back home see what we found!"

Aika and Vyse smacked the back of the right hands against each other as it quickly turned into a fist bump. Karol quickly rushed between as they parted, both high-five him. With Karol in-between, Aika and Vyse were back to back while they threw their fist out toward the same direction as Karol, as he had his own pointed out that way with them.

* * *

Karol's bag somehow managed to contain the Moon Stone, and everything else inside, as the three of them laughed and joked all the way back to Pirate Isle. However these voices of joy would quickly end as they found their home to be a smoldering ruin. Vyse rushed to a man who was lying on the ground. "V…Vyse, is that you?"

It was Ben the Lookout. "Don't worry Ben, we'll get you underground. Karol, help me out!"

Aika opened the underground passage as the two carried Ben inside. The underground had many of the inhabitants, though they weren't seeing any of the crew as two of the women rushed over to help. "Don't worry about ol' Ben. We'll take care of him."

"Vyse, you should go see your mother. She's waiting for you in Dyne's office."

They quickly rushed into the office, Vyse was the first one in, "Mom!"

She rushed to them, hugging all three, "Vyse! Karol! Aika! Thank the Moons you three are safe!"

He hugged her too, but quickly returned to the matter at hand, "What happened here?"

She took a step back, "It was the Imperial Armada…" turning back to the desk in the room, "They came out of nowhere and attack us."

"What happened to Dad? Where is everyone else?!"

"Your father said that if we fight, too many lives would be lost. So, he…he surrendered."

Karol nervously looked to her, "So Captain Dyne…and the others…"

"They were taken prisoner by the Armada and taken to Valua," confirming Karol's fears.

"Damn!" Vyse hasn't done a headcount, but he was worried about something, or someone else, "…Fina! What happened to Fina!"

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder, apologetic, "I'm sorry, Vyse…The Armada took her too."

Karol turned to the others, "In Valua, the punishment for Piracy is death! Fina will probably be mistaken for one of us and…"

Aika was worried now more than before, "Vyse, what should we do?!"

"What do you think, Aika?" Vyse had that smug look on his face, "We have to save our families…and Fina! I know rescuing everyone isn't going to be easy, but it's not impossible! We can't let them get away with this. Don't worry, we'll get them back…somehow."

"…Yeah, you're right! It's up to us. We can't give up now! Alright, let's go! Let's show those Valuans what happens when they mess with the Blue Rogues! Right, Karol?" Karol was rather nervous, though if Aika and Vyse were going, he'd help however he could.

"Wait…" Vyse mother stopped the trio, "You won't be able to do anything against Valua in the shape you're in right now. Don't just rush after them. You'll need a plan first. It's not going to be an easy fight."

Aika tried to argue otherwise, "But, but… If we don't hurry, everyone might…"

"My husband always said, 'Acting quickly and rushing are two completely different things.' Especially in times like these, you must calm down and plan every move carefully. Don't worry…everything will be alright. He…your father won't let things end like this, not him."

"Yeah Mom, you're right." Vyse turned to his friends, "Aika, Karol…Let's rest up today. We'll leave for Valua first thing in the morning!"

"Okay!"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Valuan warship, the _Serpent_, Galcian was looking out as one of his soldiers came with one of the prisoners, "Lord Galcian. As you ordered, I brought the girl to see you."

"Excellent. You may leave."

"As you wish…" the soldier saluted before leaving the two of them alone.

Once the soldier had left them, Galcian started to speak, though he didn't turn to her, "At last we meet…Fina. You cannot imagine how much trouble the Armada has gone through to find you."

Fina was stunned, quickly turned to him, "How do you know my name?"

He finally turned to her, his black clock with gold trimmings covering everything except for his head super imposed his stature and power while also hiding his true figure from all. His deep voice calmly resounded, "I am Galcian, the Sworn Protector of Valua and Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armada. I am under direct orders from her Royal Highness, Empress Teodora, to find you and bring you back to Valua. As a citizen of the Silver Civilization, you have information that is useful to us. Will you help us?" Fina defiantly stared at him, turning her eyes away from him. "I see," Galcian started to smirk, "I did not expect you to help us without the proper motivation. However…I believe we have the same goals. So wouldn't it be best for us to help each other?" Fina still refused. With that, Galcian returned to his view of the skies before him, "…We will reach Valua in half a day. Enjoy the comforts of the brig until then."

* * *

Early the next morning, Vyse, Aika and Karol were set to rescue Fina and the crew from Valua. They were waved off by the remaining inhabitants, wishing them luck on their journey and the success of their mission.

They had a few monsters to throw off the deck, nothing they couldn't handle, but then a sudden fog rolled in. "Visibility is horrible! Vyse, the fog's too thick! I can barely see!"

"That's strange…there's never any fog in this region…" Karol suddenly had a scary thought, "Do…do you think something's causing it?"

"The only way to get to Valua is through here…" Vyse wasn't going to give up, not his father or friends. "Slow to half speed…"

"Vyse, wait…" Aika was squinting, but she knows what she see, "we're too close to that island over there!"

Karol was now looking at a map he had of the area. "Island? There's no island out here!"

Without warning something breached through the clouds off the starboard bow as a screech echoed in the howling wind. "Vyse! Look! It…it's not an island! Whatever it is…it's alive!"

Karol screamed, "It's a giant arcwhale!"

"I've never seen one this big before!"

Karol was freaking out, "Ahhh! This is bad! This is bad! This is really, really bad!"

Aika turned to Vyse, "We'll get killed if we get too close to it, but we've got to hurry to Valua. What should we do?"

"What do you think we're going to do? Of course we're going to retreat! We don't stand a chance against that thing in this ship! I know we're in a hurry, but if that thing capsizes us, everyone we know will be executed. We'd better play it safe…"

"Okay. I can't argue with that. We'll be okay as long as it doesn't see us!"

"Aaahh! TOO LATE!" Karol screamed as the arcwhale blasted their ship with a frosty blast.

"Grab hold of something and brace yourself! Don't let go!"

Aika was trying as planks flew past her head, "But…but…The ship! It's breaking up!" Unable to do anything, they were flung across the skies out of control, holding on to whatever they could to keep themselves from falling into the deep sky.

* * *

In the Valuan Lower City, Yuri was trying to think of something to do for the day, though he was likely to just toss the tax collector into the refuse pill again, he'd probably find what he was looking for in there anyway. Before he could jump down from his windowsill one of the many urchins ran over to yell at him, "Hey, Yuri! Bet you haven't heard the news?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me, Marco…"

The kid scoffed, "Well, apparently the Armada got lucky and captured an entire pirate crew from their hideout. Now their heads are set for the chopping block in the Coliseum."

"Joy, like this place doesn't get to see enough death." Before Yuri did decide to fully blow the information out his ears, he looked back down to Marco, "They say who?"

"Yeah. Some guy named Dyne. I hear they're Blue Rogues too."

"Hmm…" Yuri hasn't had much experience outside of Valuan territory, though he did have some respect for the Blue Rogues and their codes of honor. "Who's the executioner?"

"The usual. Executioner Rodolfo. What? You're not actually thinking of trying to save them or something stupid like that? Are you?"

Yuri smirked, "Who knows…" He was now looking out toward the Coliseum, "Life here ain't getting any better…"

* * *

**A/N:** I might be turning this into a weekly update as well. It was a bit difficult, turning a turn-based fight into a more fluid one, but I think it went over rather well. Figured not many would find this, or they have and have no interest in it.


	4. Course Correction

"Hey…get up!" A groggy old voice yelled, as Vyse was slow to respond to it. "Are you goin' to sleep all day? Get up!" Vyse was then showed in ice cold water as he finally sprung back up.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Vyse though quickly turned back after hearing the moaning from two rather familiar voices. "Aika! Karol! Are you guys okay?"

"So…you finally decided to get up, huh?" They turned to find a grizzly old white-hair man in green with a black eye patch covering his right eye and scar, though the most distinguishing thing about the man was the massive copper-colored mechanical prosthetic that included his right shoulder. The prosthetic arm was attached to a few straps that he had wrapped around his chest. Yet despite his fisherman's paunch he looked more than capable of holding his own in a fight, even without the big knife he had stashed away in his gold and orange belt. "Because of you three, Rhaknam got away! I was so close…"

"Rhaknam…?" Karol was shaking once more, "That arcwhale was Rhaknam?!"

"You know it Karol?"

Karol nervously nodded to Aika. "Nan told me the stories. How no one survives an attack from Rhaknam! And…and no monster hunter is foolish enough to try and hunt him because he's always surrounded in a mysterious thick fog!"

"Well we survived, thanks to our friend here." Vyse picked himself up now, brushing off his legs, "Thanks for the save by the way!"

"Thanks?! Thanks you say?! Don't start with me!" Without warning, the old sea dog punched Vyse back down with his normal arm, though if he really wanted to he could have killed him with that prosthetic arm.

Karol was hiding behind his bag now as Aika moved to Vyse's side, "Vyse!"

Vyse recovered from the hit, rubbing his head, "Owwwww… I'm not sure why, but I keep getting hurt today…"

"Hey!" Aika was about to rush him, though Karol was holding her back, "What are you doing, you crusty…err rusty…old man?! He didn't do anything!"

The old sailor glared her down, "Didn't do anythin'?! I've been chasin' after that arcwhale for years! I was so close to finally capturin' him, but because of you kids, he got away! And now I have to worry about that blasted Dragon Rider gettin' him first again!"

"Jud…I…" Karol quickly shutting himself up, "The Dragon Rider's after the arcwhale too?"

"Aye…though 'twas only a year ago had that bothersome spear wielder has been after my prey."

"I'm really sorry… That you didn't catch him… Really…"

Though Vyse apologized, the old man looked away, "Hrmph…Debris from your ship hit my sails…I'm lucky my ship is still airborne. You kids were even luckier that I was here to grab you. I was working all mornin' tossin' what was left of your ship overboard. Now I'm stuck with the three of you."

Everyone was in shock, "What?! Our ship…was destroyed?"

"Aye…Now, this isn't a passenger ship. Everyone on board needs to pull their own weight. If you don't like it, you can jump off…I need to keep the load as light as possible anyway."

"Wh…what?!"

"Oh man…"

"Oh, great…" Vyse looked to Karol and Aika, "What kind of mess have we gotten ourselves into?"

* * *

Within the Imperial Palace, Prince Enrique was tending to his dear sickly sister, Princess Estellise Sidos Heurassein. Though Enrique and Estellise were indeed brother and sister, for some reason Estellise's hair was pink and her eyes were emerald green whereas Enrique had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. There were a few rumors that had made its rounds among the citizens of the Upper City of how the Emperor may have had a mistress before his passing and that was why the Lady Estellise was so sickly, because Empress Teodora was attempting to remove her from the equation. However this was far from the truth, Teodora was indeed the mother of both children, as was the deceased Emperor the one to spawn them, and Teodora was very protective of them both.

There was a knock on the door and Enrique moved to answer it. "Flynn, welcome."

Vice Captain Flynn Scifo was wearing the silver and gold trimmed officer's armor proudly, minus the helmet and the shoulder guard on the left was a quarter larger than most others. Achieving such a high standing in the Valuan Armada, enlisting from the streets of the Lower City at the age of 18, now 21, was a great accomplishment indeed. Flynn quickly bowed to the prince, "I am honored, your Highness."

"Flynn, I do believe that we are on familiar terms that you do not need to address me as such."

Flynn though was rather reserve about speaking anything less. "But your Highness, I can't just…"

"Flynn? Is that you?"

"Lady Estellise." Her voice was one of the few things that had Flynn jump to the ready as he entered the room post haste, "How are you feeling this morning?"

She smiled, "Better now, seeing you here." Estellise did her best to hold in her coughs, but they were too strong for her.

Flynn came to her side, retrieving her medication and glass of water, "Please Lady Estellise, do not exert yourself."

Estellise's coughs died down, though her attention turned to the window with a view the brilliant Upper City and the stark contrast to the duller Lower City, "If only I wasn't this sick, maybe I could travel around Valua at least once."

Enrique was also at her bedside now, "Now sister, you know mother would never allow it. Even if you were in a better condition, she would restrict you to the palace, like me."

"True, but at least we'd still have each other, brother." Estellise's coughing acted up again, though they weren't as severe as the fit earlier.

"Just be thankful that mother allowed you to train with Admiral Gregorio and myself. Speaking of the Admiral," Enrique turned to Flynn, "how is Gregorio?"

"Fairly well, your excellence. Lord Admiral Galcian has called for an assembly of the other Admirals. Gregorio has given me this time to visit before the assembly begins."

A new knock came from the open door and they all turned to find Lieutenant Sodia standing there at attention. "Vice Captain Flynn. Your Highnesses Enrique and Estellise… pardon my interruption."

Flynn stood up, "At ease Sodia. Now what is the matter?"

"Admiral Gregorio has sent me to retrieve you, Vice Captain. The meeting will be taking place soon in the Grand Fortress. We can't be late. The other admirals will be there for this meeting as well, including First Admiral Schwann Oltorain."

For Schwann to be summoned by the Lord Admiral must mean big news for the Armada. "Thank you, Sodia." Flynn turned back to Enrique and Estellise, "I am sorry, but I must leave you now. I will convey that your better condition to Admiral Gregorio. Take care."

Once they left, a pair of soldiers awaited. "Lord Enrique, Empress Teodora has reminded you that as heir to the Valuan Empire, you must remain ever astute with your schedule. Saying that my lord, your afternoon lessons are to begin soon."

"I will be there momentarily." Enrique helped Estellise with a few things, "I'll return tomorrow when my schedule permits me to, sister. Try and get some rest." Estellise smiled, though in her heart she was depressed that she'd have to wait again before either Flynn or Enrique could be by her side once more as her attendances returned.

* * *

Karol, Aika and Vyse were worked hard to keep their stay onboard the _Little Jack_ and its crabby captain, Drachma. On their way toward Sailor's Island, they encountered a small ship with a medical professional who just goes by the name Doc and a young girl named Maria and her odd little bird she was carrying. Vyse had agreed to aid Doc in hunting for Moonfish to help feed Maria's little friend. Once the _Little Jack_ dock with the island, Vyse and Aika were impressed, "Wow…So this is Sailor's Island."

"I've never been here before, but I can already tell this place is lots of fun!"

Karol had a cocky grin on his face, "Yep, Sailor's Island is one of the best port islands that isn't affiliated with Valua or Nasr. Miss Kaufman and her Sailor's Guild have worked hard to maintain this island's neutrality and providing fair trade and information for any who seek it."

Aika turned to Karol, "That's right, your old man was a member of the Sailor's Guild before he joined us."

"Yup! This is our kind of island."

Drachma walked between them, "Good, after I restock my supplies here, I'm leavin' again. You three can stay here."

"Hey, wait a second!" Aika tried stopping him, "We have no ship! Are you planning to just strand us here?!"

Drachma easily nudged her hand off his metal shoulder, "I've got to find Rhaknam…and in the meantime, I have to find a cannon that is powerful enough to destroy him. I have no time to waste with you kids. You three can resolve your own problems." He then entered the nearby tavern without another word.

Aika gave up, "This is just great! He's not listening to anything we're saying!"

Karol looked to the door Drachma just went through, "I wonder if there's anything that will make him change his mind…"

"Maybe we can dig up some information. Let's go around town and see what we can find." Vyse walked up to a fellow leaning against a building nearby. He was in a purple jacket with black hair and a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to know anything about ship weapons, would you?"

The man brushed Vyse off, "Listen kid, if you need a helmsman pay up, otherwise don't talk to me."

Vyse walked away from him as they continued to ask around. They found another Moonfish for Doc and a strange note in a bottle that was tied to a balloon and stuck in the island's light house. Eventually, from the roof of one of the buildings, someone cried out, "Now you kids are going about this all wrong."

They look up to find a shady-looking man wearing a purple coat with unkempt greyish-brown hair that tied in a ponytail that was still just as bushy in back. Tucked away in his belt was the hilt of a knife or dagger, though the rest was hidden beneath his loosely fitted coat and black pants. His eyes looked to be a bit baggy, and once he was next to them, his breath had the subtle hint of hard loqua though he probably hadn't drunk much recently. Aika and Karol both shout simultaneously, "And who are you?"

"Huh? Ah, right…" the strange man took a moment to think, "I suppose 'Raven' will do for now."

Aika was suspicious of him, "For now, huh?"

"Yep, travelers come far and wide seeking Raven the Great and his fount of wisdom and knowledge."

Vyse came out and asked, "Do you know of a weapon powerful enough to bring down an arcwhale?"

"An arcwhale…haven't seen one of those in these oceans," Raven took a moment for himself to think harder, "Well except for maybe old man Drachma and his hunt for Rhaknam."

Karol blurred out, "You know Captain Drachma?"

"Oh-oh, it seems that old sea dog managed to wrangle himself some rookie sailors I see." Raven though quickly turned away from them, "Well my lips are sealed. That old badger still owes me for that last bit of information on Rhaknam sightings. He'll have to pony up before I tell him about the Valuan Harpoon Cannon!" Raven though was too late to catch himself, "Uh…hold on…I didn't mean Valuan, I meant the…umm…Nasr Net Gun or umm… Hey, wait!"

Before Raven could stop them, they were already running back to Drachma to convince him to let take them to Valua. "Captain Drachma!"

Drachma was sitting at the tavern's bar, "Will you stop callin' me that? You don't sail with me anymore. Therefore, I'm no longer your 'Captain'."

"Really?" Aika was the first to dangle this tad bit of information, "Oh, that's too bad. I heard about a cannon that might be able to take out Rhaknam, but since you're no longer sailing with us... I guess it doesn't matter…"

Drachma quickly turned to them, "What did you say?"

Vyse continued with the teasing, "You know, I was amazed when I saw Rhaknam…I've never seen an arcwhale that big before. I used to think that he was indestructible… Until I knew that there was a cannon that could destroy him… But, you're not sailing with us anymore… So, I guess it doesn't really matter…" Vyse turned toward the door, "Gee, Aika, Karol…I'd do anything for a ride to Valua…I wonder who can get us there…"

Drachma slammed his mechanical arm against the bar, careful to only get their attention and not break the wood like a few times before, "Are you trying to bargain with me, boy?!"

Vyse stopped at the door, turning back toward him with a cocksure smile, "Well, since you put it so eloquently…if we are going to give you information that will help you, we expect you to help us."

Drachma huffed, rather annoyed by Vyse though Polly, the bartender, finally spoke up, "Now that I think about it, I remember hearing about something like that!"

Drachma looked to her, "…Polly, I hope you aren't takin' their side and lyin' to me…"

"When, Drachma, have I EVER lied to you, huh?" Drachma huffed again, knowing she has done it a few times already. "And besides, I can tell these kids aren't lying by the looks in their eyes. I've been running this tavern for twenty years Drachma…I know people. I can spot cheats and liars…and these children are neither…"

Drachma was silent for a moment, though Vyse continued to remind him of another boy, "…Alright. I won't get my hopes up, but I'll take you to Valua anyway."

Karol was completely surprised that it worked, "What?! That means…"

"If you want to go, you'll have to work the ENTIRE way, but I'll take you there…"

Vyse and Aika started their celebratory handshake and Karol joined in after the shock of Drachma taking them shook off. "Alright!"

Afterwards Aika shouted, "Cap'n, you're the best! And thank you, too, Polly! Thank you for believing us…"

Polly smiled, "Don't sweat it. When you're done with your adventure, come back and tell us about it. This crusty old bunch is dying for some fresh tales."

"Aye aye, ma'am!" saluting to Polly before Aika wrapped an arm around Karol and Vyse, "It's the least we can do!"

Polly laughed at the sight, "Alright…but be careful. Valua isn't known for their hospitality… They usually shoot first and ask questions later."

Drachma finished his mug as he slid off the stool, "She's right. Also, we'll need an entry passport to get in. Unfortunately, I don't have one…but I'm sure someone here on Sailor's Island has one!"

"Valuan Passport, huh?" Karol suddenly had an idea, "My dad used to be the guildmaster for Sailor's Island. He was in charge of giving out Valuan Passports to merchants. Maybe the guildmaster could help us out."

Vyse high-fived Karol, "Alright! Lead the way Karol!"

Karol entered the building across the tavern as Vyse walked up to the man behind the counter, "Is this the Sailors' Guild? I need some information…"

The man closed up the book he was reading, "Oh! If you have any questions about sailing, you're in the right place!"

"I need to get a Valuan Passport sometime…um…soon. Do you know how I can do this?"

"Hmm…" the guildmaster thought about it, "A Valuan Passport soon, huh? That might be a little difficult… After the initial application, there's an intensive background check…and that can take up to a full lunar cycle."

"We can't just sit around for a lunar cycle! You're the guildmaster here, right? Can't you make a fake passport or something?!"

"NO NO NO NO…No way!" outright denouncing Aika's suggestion. "If anyone is caught making or carrying a fake passport, they're executed on the spot!"

"So, what you're saying is that all we have to do is not get caught, right? Or, if we do get caught, all we have to do is escape."

"Aika!"

The guildmaster quickly shouted after Karol, "I don't want the Valuans after me! If I make a fake, and you get caught, they might be able to trace it back to me! Then, I'm a dead man. And even if I were to escape the Valuan executioner's blade, Miss Kaufman would have my head if she ever got word of this!"

Karol was holding Aika back now, "You call yourself a Guildmaster, huh? You're just a Valuan puppet…"

"That's the way of the guilds! To remain neutral!"

She finally relented, turning away, "Let's go find someone else!"

"Um…excuse me…" behind them was an old merchant walked over, "So, you are looking for a Valuan Passport, eh? I was in Valua on business and now I'm on my way home. I don't need this one anymore. I have but one request to ask you… and the passport is yours."

Aika quickly jumped at the opportunity, "Really? You have a passport?! What do you want? Anything…ask us anything!"

"I'm a merchant form the Kingdom of Nasr. Nasr is located on a desert island to the east of here. I've heard rumors that the Black Pirate, Baltor, has been seen in the skies near there…"

"Baltor, huh?" Drachma looked away to recall for a moment, "I've heard of him. He's ruthless…He attacks unarmed ships and steals their cargo."

The merchant nodded, "And, what I wanted to ask of you was, well, if you could escort me back to Nasr. If you get me safely to Nasr, then I will give you the passport when we arrive. I think it is an even trade, yes?"

Vyse threw out his arm with a thumbs up, "We accept your offer! It's a deal."

"You accept?" the merchant was rather surprised given who they might fight against, "You are wise behind your years, young one."

Karol proudly proclaimed, "Just leave it to us! We'll protect you!" though he was doing his hardest to prevent his knees from buckling.

Drachma couldn't believe what he was getting himself into, grunting about it, "Well, if we want to get into Valua, I suppose we have no other choice."

"I shall be waiting for you at the docks."

"Alright. We'll finish up here and meet you at the _Little Jack_."

The guildmaster wanted to pretend he didn't hear any of that, but the Sailor's Guild must serve the people without exception. "Before you guys leave, make sure to check out the Wanted List. It's a list of all the most wanted Black Pirates that have bounties put on them. That pirate you were talking about, Baltor the Black Bearded, is on that list, too. Defeat any of those swine and report it to the Sailors' Guild, and you'll receive a bounty! So, if you defeat Baltor, report it to the Sailors' Guild! You'll get paid handsomely! We also get news of new bounties and add them to our Wanted List, so drop by every so often and check it out to see if it's been updated!"

* * *

**A/N:** I'm going with a biweekly schedule just to give myself a bit of leeway with how the alterations play out. And for those familiar with Arcadia, yes I know that wasn't what Lawrence says when we try talking to him, but I think it was better.


End file.
